Prologue
"Do you know what it means to be free Kay? " She asked, I shuddered, my mother only called me Kay when she was scared. we were sitting in a burned out husk of a sky chariot, outside of the ruins of a small casino just east of Las Pegasus. eating a chard squirrel between us. I could hear the rest of the gang inside the casino, drunkenly cheering in celebration of the days catch, two stallion merchants and their mare bodyguard who "lost their way". it was around two or three in the morning and I could only just see mom by the glow of the fire, which she had started in a nearby barrel. she was a pegasus , Her wings and mane which were wrapped in assorted bits of armour and leather barding, were the same dark grey as my coat and covered in burns and scratches left by the merchants weapons, her mane which seamed to glow in the torchlight was dyed Bubble-gum pink,her cutie mark had been scorched off years before I was born , she never told me why or even how. but what scared me was the look in her eyes, they were usually full of life or coated red from all the things she wouldn't let me touch, but now they were sad, she looked near to tears, which would actually be something seeing as I had never seen her cry before. I took all this in before I gave my Answer.
" It means that nobody can tell you what to do!" I said proudly, I knew the answer well, may dad and big brother had drilled me with the question since birth, they were in the casino with the gang, this had been my brothers first day as a full member but I was still to young, I didn't even have my cutie mark yet.
"no my little colt, Being free means tha.."
BANG!!!
I wake to total darkness in a cold sweat, my breath heaving.
"A dream, that was years ago, it was only a dream. the same one as always."
"Bad dreams again Kaz" someone mumble's to my left. I levitate my lighter out of my armour and use my magic to spark it. The flame flickers to life and lights the room, the voice to my left belongs to Sledge Hammer my big brother, a hulking Earth pony who was now leader of the gang, his coat is coal black and his long mane is white as a ghost pony his cutie mark is predictably a sledge hammer. We are in the main bedroom of our hideout, (what's left a small two bedroom house about ten miles outside of Las Pegasus). three mattresses are spread out across the floor, one is mine, another is Sledge's the final one belongs to Vixen, Sledge's marefriend who is oddly absent.
"Yeah, Luna help me I need some air." I say putting my lighter back in my pocket, I levitate the thin quilt of my torso and get to my hooves shaking myself awake.
"Here have this." Sledge grabs something in his teeth and throws it at me, "Take the edge off." I catch it in my levitation field... a shot of Med-X
"Maybe later" I tuck it in my belt for later, and leave the room.
As I walk through the hallway I catch my reflection in a cracked mirror, I'm wrapped in leather barding a holster keeping my 375. Magnum close to my right foreleg is slung across my back my belt keeps three sticks of TNT holstered alongside my zippo lighter. My coat is dark grey just like my mothers was, my mane and tail are dyed blood red (I can't even remember what my original mane colour was) and there is my horn in all its magical magnificence, and finally my cutie mark a wrench and a screwdriver crossed over one and other, it had appeared a few years after mom died Sledge had come back from a raid and dropped his broken hammer at my hooves and I fixed it with ease and it had appeared I had had a fit when I found out and Sledge had given me my first cider. I chuckle at the memory and return my gaze to the mirror.
"Not bad, not bad at all..."
"Y'all keep looking at yourself pony's are gonna start talkin." I spin around levitating my gun and point it at the source of the voice. " you gonna put that down cow poke for you put somepony's eye out." its Vixen. I laugh and holster my gun.
"Damn it Vixen you scared the shit outta me." She smiles, and by Celestia do I love that smile, and how she speaks with a farm pony accent, despite the fact she has never set foot on a working farm in her life, her cream coat and black mane and tail, and the way her flack curves just at the righ...
"No, no, no, stop it, that Sledges girl you moron."
We walk down the stairs, and out the front door passing the rest of the gang asleep in the living room, and stop on the porch she checks her gun, a scoped hunting rifle attached to her battle saddle.
"what the hell you are you doing up Vix." I ask curious.
"Sledge's got me on watch." she said trying to hide a yawn with her hoof.
"were headed out in the morning, couple o those ranger boys snoopin around here the other day." she turns her head staring at my flank.
"See something you like." I ask jokingly.
"Yeah!" She sounds ecstatic.
"Haha ... Wait What!"
She leans over and bites my belt.
"What the Fuc ..."
she pulls away the Med-X sledge gave me in her mouth, and injects herself with it.
"You've been holding out on me you bastard." she said giggling the drug already taking effect.
"That was mine Vix!" I shout.
"Oh come on you big baby, I got some Stampede and Dash in my saddlebag, I'll owe you one." she laughs, A mischievous grin forms on her mouth, "Or I can owe you three if you finish up this watch for me"
"Done" I say without hesitation.
"Thanks Kaz you're a doll." She swaggers back into the house. I stare up at the night sky.
"Its not like I'm getting back to sleep anyway."